The story of Josh Deluca is indeed an interesting one. During the mid-season draft, the young AFL player was drafted as one of the best options and Carlton was very happy with the selection. Deluca proceeded to play the final six games at the end of the season, meaning that he actually played more than any other player in his cohort.
However, things turned sour for the 23-year-old player as he is currently teamless and might remain that way for the 2020 season. This caused an uproar not only with fans but also with bookmakers who would have to take this move into their odds offering. This is the usual procedure with bookies not just in the AFL but in every sport, since they depend on events and historical data to offer their odds.
Although the Blues were very happy with the draft, they decided to delist him mid-October. The player was invited to train with his teammates in November and prepare for the Pre-Season, National, and Rookie drafts, but his team’s sudden change of plans left him teamless.
Footy boss Brad Lloyd, as well as David Teague, senior coach, decided to pay a visit to Deluca recently to tell him the bad news. That happened the very morning that the rookie daft took place, making Josh teamless.
Instead of Deluca, the team opted for a somewhat different approach to the game, choosing the midfielder-forward of Western Jets Josh Honey. Moreover, they also selected Fraser Phillips, a medium-sized forward who played for Gippsland Power.
Future of Young Josh Deluca
The AFL is a business above all, and some young and talented players need a little bit of luck to succeed. Sometimes, the fate of players such as Josh Deluca is not decided based on their talent but on finding the right balance and meeting the objectives set at the beginning of every season.
Simply put, if the player doesn’t fit in, he may end up being rejected despite his obvious talent. There are numerous things that are taken into account during drafts, not just the sheer talent for sports.
Josh Deluca now has two options ahead of him. He can either stay in Melbourne and focus on playing footy, waiting for a better opportunity in the future (that may or may not come — it’s a risk).
Alternatively, he can start a career in commercial property. After all, he is very close to getting a degree in this area and there might be a bright future ahead of him in this industry. It’s up to him to decide what his priorities in life are, but the majority of people can agree that it’s a pity that such a twist of fate happened to him.
These things happen in all sports, not just AFL. More popular sports such as soccer and basketball are often cruel, meaning that many players who have great talent end up with no contract.
When there’s a lot of money in the game, many clubs approach team selection with extreme caution. Sometimes, being able to fit in mentally with the rest of the team plays an important role, which means that talent is not the only thing taken into account.
